Washington, D.C. — Today, at a ceremony at the Pueblo of Acoma, First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton announced more than $200,000 in contributions to Save America's Treasures for Cornerstones Community Partnerships. Cornerstones, an award-winning youth training, preservation and community revitalization program, will dedicate $75,000 to the restoration of San Esteban del Rey Mission Church and Convent at the Pueblo of Acoma, which is just one of the many preservation projects benefiting from the Save America’s Treasures’ grant throughout New Mexico. A public-private partnership of the White House Millennium Council and the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Save America's Treasures is a national preservation effort dedicated to preserving and protecting the country's irreplaceable historic and cultural heritage.

First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, who is honorary chair of the Millennium Committee to Save America's Treasures, is currently in the Southwest on behalf of the program to draw attention to the preservation needs of some of this country's most significant historic and cultural resources. National Trust President Richard Moe, who is co-chair of the Millennium Committee, joined the First Lady at a ceremony at Acoma Pueblo for the gift announcement, and to celebrate puebloan tradition and visit the threatened church.

"We have learned over the years that preservation efforts succeed in the United States only when there are a multitude of partners," said Hillary Rodham Clinton. "That is why I’m especially pleased with the help of the Cornerstones program together we will be able to preserve the culture and heritage of the Pueblo of Acoma for future generations."

"Cornerstones is an exemplary organization, and we salute its efforts to help communities and villages save its treasures while revitalizing the community," said Richard Moe. "Because of Cornerstones’ good work, and the support of caring individuals and organizations, not only the historic buildings but also the culture of New Mexico will flourish."

"We are grateful for the outpouring of support for our work at Acoma and around the state," said Elizabeth Johnson, director of Cornerstones. "We will continue to seek the same positive results there as we have achieved at other project sites around the state, and thank the First Lady, the National Trust and Save America's Treasures for their interest in saving our treasures here in New Mexico."

More than 100 individuals, foundations and corporations contributed to Cornerstones through Save America’s Treasures, including the Fannie Mae Foundation which made a $100,000 grant. Gifts from the local corporate community were received from Bank of America, New Mexico; Fannie Mae, New Mexico; Intel Corporation; Public Service Company of New Mexico and Sandia National Laboratories on behalf of Lockheed Martin; and others, ranging from $1,000 to $10,000. Individual and other gifts ranged from $500 to $10,000.

Using graduates of the Zuni Youth Training Program as teachers and mentors, Cornerstones hopes to initiate a youth training program at Acoma Pueblo for a variety of projects, including the restoration of San Esteban del Rey. Built in 1629, the mission is a National Historic Landmark and Official Project of Save America's Treasures. The Acoma people moved 20,000 tons of earth and stone from the canyon floor 300 feet up the precipitous sides of the mesa to build the mission over a 14-year period. It is one of the few Spanish missions to survive the Pueblo Revolt of 1680 and contains the largest inventory of original materials of any still-functioning building from its era. It provides an unusual opportunity to study and document building methods used by the Spanish and Native peoples only a few decades after the arrival of Juan de Oņate and the first Spanish explorers in 1598. Work on the mission will provide a site for Cornerstones and community elders to train the youth of Acoma in the skills necessary to restore and maintain the mission using traditional methods and materials, and is just one of the projects to be funded by the Save America’s Treasures grant.

About Cornerstones Community Partnerships

For the past thirteen years, Cornerstones Community Partnerships has been working with over 200 communities throughout New Mexico to plan, organize and implement community-driven, volunteer projects. Cornerstones is a nonprofit organization whose purpose is to develop partnerships with communities and restore historic buildings, encourage traditional building practices and develop skills and leadership among the younger generation. Cornerstones helps strengthen the initiative, cooperation and self-reliance of the community while encouraging community ownership of each project.

About Save America’s Treasures

Save America’s Treasures is a national effort to celebrate and preserve our nation’s threatened cultural treasures for future generations, including significant historic structures, monuments, documents, objects and collections that document and illuminate the history and culture of the United States. The Millennium Committee to Save America’s Treasures, formed by the National Trust, provides guidance and expertise to the effort, and is led by Honorary Chair Hillary Rodham Clinton and co-chairs Richard Moe, President of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and Susan Eisenhower, granddaughter of former President Dwight D. Eisenhower. As a private-sector partner to the White House Millennium Council, the National Trust coordinates the Save America’s Treasures public awareness and education campaigns and works with two associate partners, Heritage Preservation and the National Park Foundation, to raise funds for the most urgent preservation needs identified at the state and national levels.

About the National Trust